Whether you realize it or not, network servers are a big part of common, everyday life, which are often regarded as the heart of Internet. As business grow and IT needs evolve to catch up, network servers are needed to store files & run applications, to increase the efficiency of resource sharing or to increase reliability. Choosing the right server may seem a daunting task, given the various network servers with different functions and feature sets. However, we can make it much simple by grasping some rudimental knowledge of network server.

Let’s get started with the two fundamental questions: “What is a server?” and “what does a server do?” Server, commonly known as Internet server, is essential to pretty much anything related to computer – it is a super computer in essence that used in a network to provide service to a client. When compared with client computers, servers are usually built from higher-grade components that have more processing power, memory and storage to handle more exhausting jobs. In a computer network, the client computer (which is not acting as the server) is requesting information or services from the server. Servers basically store all the information you need/use each and every day.

Servers are made up of similar components to the regular client computer, like a motherboard, processing chip, memory etc. And the function and performance of a server is heavily related to those server hardware. Let’s take a review of each.

Motherboard

The main electronic circuit board to which all the other components are connected. The major components on it include the processor (or CPU), a standard IDE hard drive controller, and input/output (I/O) ports for devices such as keyboards, mice, and printers.

Processor

The brain of the server. It is the one that most people think of first when deciding what type of server to purchase. Each processor core acts as if it’s a separate processor. Most servers use dual-core (two cores) or quad-core (four cores) chips.

Memory

The total memory capacity of the server depends on the motherboard. Most new servers can support at least 12GB of memory, and some can handle up to 32GB.

Hard Drives

Servers often adopt SCSI as the hard drives for better performance. And SATA drives are also being used in servers due to their reliability and performance.

Network Connection

One of the most important parts of any server. Many servers have network adapters built into the motherboard. If not, you’ll need to add a separate network adapter card.

There are very good reasons to buy server once your business reaches a certain stage. Since we’ve know what makes up a server, how can we benefit from using a server? Well there are many good reasons to invest a server for your business, let’s look into some of the more important ones.

Network security: The server allows you to manage file access on one system rather than on each workstation individually, which saves time and effort. And all users can store their documents within their own personal folder on the server. So the data stored in a user's personal folder can only be viewed by themselves. And those data can get backed up with the rest of the network data, thus nothing will be lost due to a crashed workstation.

Improved reliability: Servers are equipped with redundant power supplies and storage system. It will use multiple hard drives working in a RAID configuration to prevent data lose or an interruption in workflow. Many servers are built with hot swappable hard drives and power supplies to facilitate replacing faulty hardware, without interrupting the entire system.

Efficient use of resources: A network server allows users on the network to make use of various network resources right from their desks, including centralized data storage, network attached storage (NAS) devices, printers and fax servers.

Virus Management: Viruses, spyware and spam are greatest threats to your network health, making it necessary to install quality, updated, anti-virus software. An anti-virus package that combines workstation and server virus protection into a single solution makes sense. It allows a single network administrator to manage every aspect of the anti-virus software from a centralized location.

Centralized Backup: Except for server, there are other media types can be used for backup purposes, such as traditional tape drive, CDs, DVDs, removal storage and NAS devices. Your choice should depend on your specific backup requirements, budget and data retention needs.

It is known that servers power the software that will help your business thrive and your team to collaborate. And choosing the right type of server is closely related to applications you intend to run on it. Servers come in three main categories, which are tower server, blade server and rackmount server.

Tower Server – It much resembles a regular desktop computers, but with server components inside. Tower servers come in several different shapes, offering plenty of processing power and don’t require you to purchase additional mounting hardware. A drawback is that they take up more space once you start adding more.

Blade Server – It requires a chassis to be installed. Blade servers are even more space-efficient than tower and rackmount servers. However, the cooling of blade servers can be a challenge: consider these when your server closet scales into a server room.

Rackmount Server – Rackmount servers need to be installed onto a rack chassis. And a chassis usually can hold multiple servers on top of each other in slots. They can be the best bet when you have several servers and want to consolidate them into a smaller space.

After deciding the type of server, there are also some key aspects that you need to consider. Just follow these steps to ensure you to get a server that fulfills your business needs.

Make a list of what will need to run on the server.

Determine the operating system, processor, memory and storage needs for each application Choose which hypervisor will best suit your environment.

Design a solution that adequately mitigates the risk of bringing your business to a halt of a single component or device fails.

Talk to a hardware suppliers to determine the best match of hardware and software for your budget.

FS.COM newly launched RS-6388 server provides high performance & storage capacity in a compact 2RU form factor. It is a rackmount server with Intel® Xeon® processor to deliver platform flexibility and maximum performance. RS-6388 server is built to handle ideal workloads for cloud storage and SMB solution, including enterprise resource planning, mail service and scalable storage infrastructure. This servers also features hot-plug power supplies, modular design fans and a great cooling system for a balance between performance and power efficiency. It is also the right combination of maximized computing power and low power consumption.

With the gains in productivity and security and drops in price, a network server could wind up being a great investment for your business. As you start the server shopping, just follow the steps aforementioned and get that professional help early in the process. FS.COM are ready to help make sure that you get the best solution for your business’ unique needs, we provides small business server, enterprise server in competitive price. If you get any question, feel free to contact us via sales@fs.com.